Machine for straightening can body flanges



S. BIRKLAND MACHINE FOR STRAIGHTENING CAN BODY FLANGES Filed Nov. 18, 1947 Dec. 19, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BYJLMM v'fymy/ ATTORNEYS Dec. 19, 1950 s. BxRKLAND MACHINE FOR STRAIGHTENING CAN BODY FLANGES Filed Nov. 18. 1947 3 sheets-sheet .2

INVENTOR MMM B MM 2 wma.

ATTORNEYS Dec. 19, 1950 s. BIRKLAND 2,534,220

MACHINE FOR STRAIGHTENING CAN BODY FLANGES Filed Nov. 18, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR MMM Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES ZATENT FFICE MACHINE FOR STRAEGHTENIN G CAN BODY Fl-ANGES Appiicatien November 13, 1947, Serial No. 786,709

5 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a machine for straightening the flanges on sheet metal can bodies and the like and has particular reference to devices for truing a ilange on a can body and for removing dents and other distortions from the body ange preparatory to sealing an fend closure member to the body.

.In the manufacture of sanitary cans or containers the top and bottom endl yclosures are usually attached .to the can body :by 'the interfolding of `flange parts formed on the can body .and on the end closure to unite these parts in a tigh`J permanent end seam. In handling the body during .its travel from the bodymaker to the machine for securing an end .closure in place, the flanges of the body sometimes become dented or other* wise distorted so that they do not properly nt the flange of the end closure to -be ,secured thereto. Similarly, cans lcomprising a flanged body having one closure membersecured thereto during travel from the can factory to the canning plant someF times are Vhandled so that denting or other distortions `of the .can body flange take .place with the result that improper nt is obtained .between the can flange and its sealing .end closure after the can is filled and ready for sealing.

Such distortions lin the flange of the can body prevent the tight interfolding of the flange with the end closure flange. It has been found that even small dents in a can body flange, when incorporated in an interiolded end seam, are of such a magnitude as to cause leakage of air through the seam, thereby destroying the vacuum in a vacuumized can, with the result that the contents of the can are sometimes seriously affected.

The instant invention contemplates overcoming this difliculty by the provision of a machine which will effectively and speedily iron out any distortions in a can body flange and true the flange for subsequent use.

An object of the invention is the provision of a can body flange straightening machine wherein the flange on a can body is freed of any dis tortions preparatory to fitting with an end closure so that the flange of the body will properly cooperate with the flange of the end closure in providing a tight, leakproof interfolded seam between the body and the end closure.

Another object is the provision of such a man chine wherein any dents or other distortions in a can Vbody flange are ironed out to such an extent as to insure the holding in a sealed can of a maximum and uniform vacuum or pressure.

Another obiect is the provision of such a machine Wherein the straightening and truing of a 2 distorted flange may be effected rapidly and efficiently in an improved apparatus of simple and economical construction which is wel-l adapted for operating on can bodies passing through the apparatus in a continuous procession and at ai high speed rate of travel.

Numerous other objects and advantages of theY invention will be apparent as it 'is better under-- stood from the following description,

ings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view off a machine embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the broken line -2-2 in Fig. l, withjparts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of that portion -of thel machine shown at the left in Fig. l, with parts broken back and parts shown in section.

Fig. i is an enlarged Yperspective view of a can having a body flange showing exemplary forms of flange distortions;

Figs. 5, 6 and '7 are schematic views of pri-ncipal parts ofthe machine and a can body lin different relative positions and showing different stages in the straightening and truing of the flange of the body; and

Fig. '8 is an enlarged detailed view of a'po'rtion of the flange straightening parts and the flange portion of the can body as illustrated in Fig. "7.

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate a machine for straightening or truing a flange A (Fig. 4) surrounding an open mouth B of a sheet metal, cylindrical body C of a can or container D having a bottom end closure E secured by a suitable end seam F. The invention is equally well adapted to can bodies having both ends open and flanges surrounding both ends and to other tubuf lar articles having flanges at one or both ends thereof. By way of example of the types of distortion usually encountered in flanged can bodies,

the flange A of the can'D is shown with la longV shallow downwardly bent portion or distortion G, such as may be produced by the can falling on its flange. Another example is that of a sharp deep dent H such as may be produced by the flange being struck 'by or jammed against a machine part or other obstruction, although many other types of flange distortions may be encountered.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is preferably intended for use in connection with a which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawf can filling and sealing machine, and as such, all cans intended for use in the filling and sealing machine are iirst passed through the flange straightening machine on their way into the nlling and sealing machine so as to insure that all cans that enter this latter machine will have their iianges straightened and trued and ready for the reception of an end closure.

The cans D enter the ange straightening machine in a continuous procession, one behind the other and rolling on their sides, by way of an in'- clined entrance chute II (Figs. 1 and 2) the machine end of which is secured by brackets to a cylindrical housing I2. The housing may be bolted to a frame i3 as shown in the drawings or may be suspended on support rods secured to the ceiling of the room in which the machine is used as is sometimes desired when long lines of cans are propelled along runways attached to the ceiling.

The lowermost can D in the enteringr procession of cans temporarily engages against the outer periphery of a continuously rotating turret I5 which is formed with a plurality of can receiving pockets I6 equally spaced around its outer circumference. The drawings show four of these pockets I5, although any number may be used as desired. The turret I5 is mounted on a rotatable horizontal shaft I8, one end of which is journaled in a bearing bracket I9 bolted to the frame I3. The opposite end of the turret shaft is journaled in a bearing plate 2| bolted to the cylindrical housing I2 as best shown in Fig. 1.

The turret I5 is manually adjustable longitudinally of its turret shaft I8 and after such an adjustment the turret is locked in piace by a pair of lock nuts 23 which surround and which are threadedly engaged with threaded portions 2@ of the shaft. There is one of these lock nuts on each side of the hub of the turret. A key 25 secured in the shaft, engages in a key slot 25 in the hub of the turret and thus rotates the turret with the shaft.

The turret shaft I8 and the turret I5 mounted thereon are continuously rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, by a gear 23 which is mounted on the outer end of the shaft i8 adjacent the bearing plate 2 I. This gear meshes with and is rotated by a speed reducing pinion 3I mounted on a short driving shaft 32. This shaft is journaled in the bearing plate 2| and in a bearing bracket 33 bolted to the frame i3. The shaft is rotated in any suitable manner through a pulley er sheave 34 mounted on the outer end of the shaft 32.

Hence as the turret shaft I8 rotates, it turns the turret I5 and thus carries the turret pockets I6 successively past the machine end of the entrance chute II. As a pocket passes the chute, can D from the chute drops into the pocket and the picked up can is thus carried forward with the turret. During this travel with the turret, the can is operated upon to effect the straightening and truing of its flange A as hereinbefore mentioned.

A can D received in a pocket I5 of the turret I 5 is disposed with its longitudinal axis in parallelism with the axis of the turret shaft I8. The closed end of the can is disposed adjacent and in axial alignment with a yieldable backing pad 38. There is one of these backing pads 38 for each turret pocket I6 and each pad is carried on the inner end of a pad shaft 39.

The four pad shafts 39 are rotatably carried in bearings 4I formed on a disc or wheel 42 mounted on the turret shaft I8 between the turret I5 and the bearing bracket i9. The wheel thus turns in time with the turret. Each pad 33 is maintained under pressure of a compression spring it which surrounds the pad shaft and which is located in a recess 45 formed in the inner ends of the bearings lil, the spring being interposed between the bottom of the recess and a collar 45 formed on the pad shaft. A collar si secured to the outer end of each pad shaft 33 retains the shaft in place in the bearings and limits its inward travel under the pressure i the spring 44.

The open iianged end of the can D in a turret pocket it is disposed adjacent and in arial alignment with a yieldable chuck 5I (Fig. l). There are four of these chucks, one for each pocket in the turret i5 and they are mounted. on and keyed to the outer ends of rotatable spindies between an enlarged head on the end ci the spindle and a collar 54 formed on the spindle adjacent the inner end of the chuck. Yieldability of the chuck relative to the spindle is prom vided by a compression spring 55 which surrounds the spindle and which is disposed in a recess 5l in the inner end of the chuck, the spring being interposed between the bottom of the recess 5l and the collar 54 on the spindle.

The chucks 5I are intended to i'lt within the open end or mouth B of the cans D in the turret I5 and to engage against and back up the anges A on the cans. For this purpose each chuck 5i is formed with tapered sides 5I constituting a frustum of a cone for easy entrance of the chuck into the can mouth. These tapered sides 5I merge into a short straight or cylindrical side wall section 62 (see Fig. 8) having a diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of the can D. At the base of the chuck the straight side wall section t2 merges into an outwardly curved wall section 53 which is the true shape and size of the flange A on a can D. The function of this curved wall section 53 is to backup and true the flange A during its straightening operation as will be explained hereinafter.

The spindles 52 on which the chucks 5! are mounted, are journaled in slide blocks 55 which are carried for reciprocation in slide bearings Si formed in a wheel 58 mounted 0n and keyed to the turret shaft I8. The wheel and the slide blocks 56 carried therein thus rotate with the turret I5. There are four slide blocks 56, one for each chuck 5I and each block is formed with a lateral elongated boss 'H which extends inwardly toward the turret shaft I8, through a slot 'l2 formed in the slide bearings 51. These bosses prevent turning of the slide blocks in their bearings. The bosses carry cam rollers 'i3 which operate in a cam track 'i4 formed in a stationary cam 'I5 which surrounds the turret shaft I8 and which is boltedto the bearing plate 2| of the stationary cylindrical housing l2. This cam controls the movement of each chuck 5i toward and away from its associated can D in the turret I5.

While traveling through a circular path of travel with the turret I5, the chucks 5I are also rotated on their own axes. This rotation of the chucks is brought about by a pinion 'll' which is mounted on the outer end of each of the spindles 52. These pinions together with the collars 5G formed on the spindles retain the spindles in their slide blocks 6E. The pinions mesh with a stationary internal .gear i8 .formed on the inside of the stationary Cylindrical .housing l2.

Thus as the wheel t8 turns with the turret .I5 the pinions 1l travel around the inside of the internal gear 'I8 and rotate the chucks 5I. At the .Same time, the cam rollers 13 .traverse the cam track I4 of the stationary cam 'I5 and thereby reciprocate the slide blocks 5:5 and the chucks 5| :toward and awa-y from the flanged end .0f a can D in the turret I5. The internal gear I8 is made wide -enough to permit of this reciprocation of the spindles 52 and their driv ing pinions I1 without taking the pinions out of mesh with the gear.

In operation, a .ca-n D drops into a turret pocket I6 `when the chuck 5I opposite this pocket is in a retracted position as best shown in Fig. :5. As the can is ,carried forward by .the turret i5, the chuck 5I moves into the open end or mouth B of the can and presses its curved wall section 6.3 against the flange A of the can as shown in Fig. 6. Continued movement of the chuck forces the can endwise into engagement with the backing-up plate 38. With the can thus clamped between the chuck and the backingup plate as .Shown in Fig. 6, the rotation of the chuck is imparted to the can and the can thus begins to rotate on its own axis.

The inward movement of the rotating chuck 5I .does not stop when the can is forced against the .backing-:up plate 38 but continues to torce the can and its backing-up plate against the resistance of the plate spring di! and thus brings the flange of the rotating can into engagement with a truing roller 8| as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. There are four of these truing rollers 8|, one for each turret pocket I6 of the turret I5 and they are disposed adjacent the pockets in an angular position as best shown in Figs. 1 and 8. Each roller is rotatably mounted on the outer end of a stud or post 82 which is threadedly secured in a boss 83 formed on the hub of the turret I5. The studs are manually adjustable for locating the truing roller relative to the outer surface of the can to be operated upon. When once adjusted the stud may be locked in place by a set screw 84 threadedly secured in the boss. An outer peripheral edge 85 of each roller and an adjacent peripheral face 86 are shaped to the true shape of the flange A of the can.

Hence when the chuck 5l presses the flange A of the rotating can D into engagement with a truing roller 8|, the flange is squeezed between the truing surfaces 63 of the chuck and truing faces 85, 85 of the roller and is thus reformed into a true flange shape, any dents or other distortions in the nange being rolled or ironed out during the truing operation. Any overthrow of the cam 'I5 during this squeezing operation is taken u-p by the spring 56 in the chuck.

This truing operation continues while the turret I5 rotates through approximately one half a turn. As the can approaches the bottom of the turret as Viewed in Fig. 2, the cam l5 retracts the chuck 5I and thus the can with its trued flange A is released for discharge from the machine. This release of the can takes place over a discharge chute 88 disposed under the turret. The chute extends down through an opening in the frame I3 and leads preferably to a filling and sealing machine or other suitable place of deposit. A guide rail 89 of the chute extends up in the path of travel of the cans and insures their extraction from the turret.

`In such a machine a line or continuous nro-` cession of cans is steadily passing through the machine, the cans entering .near the top, passing through a curved path o f travel while being operated upon, and being discharged at the bottom of the machine, all in timed Order.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of .the parts without .departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacriiicing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described f being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

i. vIn a machine for truing :flanges on a tubular body, a rotatable spindle, means for continuously rotating said spindle, a chuck mounted on .and rotatable with said spindle and engageahle against one face of the flange of a body for rotating said body, spring means effective against said chuck longitudinally of said spindle, means for holding the body against said chuck to yieldably back up the flange thereon,

a fixed truing element disposed opposi said chuck, and cam means for shifting said spindle said chuck for compressing the flange of the rotating body against said truing element to straighten said ilange for subsequent use.

2. In a machine for truing end flanges on a tubular body, the combination of means for receiving an individual body and for holding it intermediate its ends, a rotatable inner truing element mounted in the machine adjacent said body receiving means and insertable inside of the held body from one end for engagement with the adjacent face of an end flange of the body, yieldable means interposed between said inner truing element and its mounting for urging said element against said tubular body, means for rotating said inner truing element to rotate the body engaged therewith, an outside truing element engageable with the opposite face of said body end flange, and means for shifting one of said truing elements relative to the other for effecting insertion of said inner truing element into the body and for compressing said body flange between said truing elements during rotation of the body for straightening indentations and other distortions in the said body flange.

3. In a machine for truing flanges on a tubular body, a rotatable spindle, means for continuously rotating said spindle, a chuck mounted on and rotatable with said spindle and engageable against the flanged end of a body for rotating said body, spring means carried by said chuck and located between the chuck and the spindle for pressing the chuck against the flange of the body, a yieldable backing-up pad disposed opposite said chuck for holding said body clamped between the chuck and said pad, a truing element disposed between said chuck and said pad and in alignment with the flange on said body, and cam means for shifting said spindle, said chuck, said body and said pad for compressing the ilange of the rotating body against said truing element to straighten said flange.

4. In a machine for truing anges on a tubular body, the combination of a chuck insertable into the open end of a flanged body, said chuck having tapered sides merging into a curved wall section of true flange shape, means for inserting said chuck inside of the body to bring its curved wall section into engagement with the inner face of the flange on said body, means for rotating said chuck and the body engaged therewith, a truing roller disposed opposite said chuck and having rotation substantially at right angles to the chuck, said truing roller having a curved wall section of true ange shape complementary to the curved wall section of said chuck for engagement with the outside face of the ilange of the rotating body, and yieldable ,pressure means effective between said rotating chuck and said chuck inserting means for yieldably pressing the flange of said rotated can body against said truing roller for rotating the latter thereby compressing said flange against the curved wall section of the chuck for reforming the body flange into a true flange shape.

5. In a machine for truing anges on a tubular body, a rotatable turret having spaced pockets therein for receiving flanged bodies and for carrying them around a curved path of travel, a plurality of rotatable spindles disposed one adjacent each pocket in axial alignment therewith and on one side of said turret, means for rotating said spindles continuously and in unison, a chuck mounted on each of said spindles adjacent its turret pocket and engageable against the flanged end of a body in the pocket for rotating said body, spring means located in each of said chucks and engageable With a said spindle for urging the chuck against the body and for longitudinally backing-up the flange of the body, a

plurality of yieldable and freely rotatable backing-up pads disposed one adjacent each turret pocket in axial alignment therewith and on the side of the turret opposite said chucks for holding a body in a pocket clamped between said chuck and said pad, a plurality of truing elements carried on said turret and disposed one adjacent each pocket between its chuck and its pad and in alignment with the ange on said body, and cam means for shifting a said spindle and its associated chuck axially into engagement with the llanged end of said body and for clamping the body against said backing-up pad and for compressing the liange of the body against said truing element simultaneously With the rotation of the turret to straighten said flange for subsequent use, said cam means operating to retract said chuck after a flange straightening operation to release said body for discharge from its turret pocket.

STELLAN BIRKLAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le o this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 912,377 Hutchison Feb. 16, 1909 948,353 Swangren Feb. 8, 1910 1,604,345 Grotnes Oct. 26, 1926 

